HousingZone

Building Green in a Black and White World-- Chapter 4

David Ritchey Johnston -- 1/1/1900

-------Sales and Marketing Team--------

Your sales team or the realtors you use present your face to the customer. How they represent you and your homes is the most important element in selling your product. You typically have one chance with a buyer. They will rarely come back if they don’t get a good impression. You can build the best green home in town, but if your sales people don’t see the value in the green features, they won’t represent you or the home appropriately to the customer.

Couresty of Ensar Group

Tom Hoyt says, "The sales staff needs to believe that what you are doing is going to make it easier for them to sell homes." McStain has seen its sales staff ignore a green program because they didn't understand it or didn't believe they were giving their customers value. Although they had an effective tool in differentiating the green product from someone else's, they didn't have confidence in it, so they didn't use it. "I've seen that half a dozen times or more here," Hoyt says. "That's why their buy-in is so critical."

Companies that successfully "sell green in a black and white world" show their sales people that they can make more money and bring buyers back through understanding the benefits of green building. We started this book by saying that building green is more about people than about technology. Green gives sales people tools to engage the buyer on an emotional level. When they believe that there are greater benefits to the buyer of a green home over a conventional home, their belief and enthusiasm can close the sale by itself.

A company aligned to a mission that is greater than the bottom line is an attractive force to be reckoned with. It creates a magic that businesses in the black and white world can’t imagine. Prospective employees often come to you because of your reputation as a great place to work.

Customers feel it. They are confident doing business with you when they hear the same commitment to quality, people, and the environment from every member of the team they encounter. Finding a company with integrity and a higher purpose is something most people are longing for. When you can take that step and inspire those who work for you to join with you, there is no competition. Everyone else is measured against your standard.

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Building Green in a Black and White World
by David Robert Johnston

Also See:

I. Creating a Green Company Introduction

II. Creating a Vision

III. Design .

Phases of an Integrated Design Process

IV. Aligning Employees’ Jobs with Green Building

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